Lifestyle

It’s Day One for IKEA Canberra

IKEA is here, IKEA is here! It is impossible to miss the big blue box as you head towards the airport. For many Canberrans, there is a sense of pride that Canberra is finally getting an IKEA all of its own. For others, there is a long shopping wish list.

I was excited to participate in a behind the scenes tour conducted ahead of the opening today. At 26,000 sqm and only one single level, IKEA Canberra is not the largest in Australia; but it is the most sustainable. The store is lit entirely by energy efficient LED lighting, and there are over 1,900 solar panels on the roof.

IKEA researched the Canberra market before opening and visited 120 families. Canberrans, it found, are house proud, have larger than average homes, and enjoy cooking and entertaining at home. They also like their outdoors spaces — seasonally — and this is reflected in outdoor furniture settings displayed in store. In winter, IKEA will feature more cosy settings such as throw rugs over armchairs.

The IKEA Canberra store has features not yet available in other Australian IKEA stores, such as the IKEA Café. The café complements the restaurant, co-situated in the 380-capacity space. I could see an array of cakes, muffins and juices already on display at the cafe, and was a tad regretful we did not get to sample the baked items. IKEA Canberra will serve FIKA (afternoon tea) daily from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. The restaurant will also serve IKEA’s popular Swedish meatballs and $3.99 breakfasts.

IKEA Canberra is also the first IKEA store to promote the LATTJO play collection; it is basically dressups and games for people of all ages, designed to bring fun into everyday life. We dared our tour guide Michael Russell to wear a white tutu style item. He graciously volunteered but when he realized it was nailed to the display opted to a put on a brain hat instead. I have decided I would quite like a cape.

The kitchenware area in IKEA Canberra is also unique in its innovative use of wall space. “Some cooking sections have large expanses of white walls,” said Michael. “But not here.” Instead, the walls are covered with gleaming saucepans and frypans and bright red bundt pans.

Nor are children forgotten. “They are the most important people in the world,” said Michael. Customers can leave their children in the Smaland playground for up to an hour while they shop. Then they can feed them a $3.69 children’s meatball meal, and enjoy a coffee as their kidlets play in safe children’s area within the restaurant.

IKEA Canberra opens to the public at 9.30am today. IKEA will provide coffee and other activities from 6.00am. The roads around the Majura Road shopping precinct have changed. This will help decrease congestion, but I did find it confusing to navigate.

Where: 1030 Majura Road, Majura 2609Website:www.ikea.com/au/en/store/canberraWhen: Opening day is today, November 16, 2015. Coffee will be served outside the store from 6am with the countdown to the 9.30 opening starting at 9am.

“The store is lit entirely by energy efficient LED lighting, and there are over 1,900 solar panels on the roof.”
All made in Australia I assume (not)?

Because lets face it Australian companies would buy the cheapest solar panels as well regardless of where they are built and would never ever avoid paying tax……. You’ve got a bee in your bonnet about Ikea. You need to move on, find something to be happy about.
You don’t have to shop there, but if it improves the local economy, I’m all for it. There are already stories of people planning to come to Canberra for a weekend to visit Ikea and see places they haven’t been to. My aunty who lives an hour out of Sydney thinks coming to Canberra will be quicker for her so she’ll come here instead, when she wants to go to Ikea instead of the Sydney stores. More money for our local economy.

The point I was making is that there are no longer any solar panels being made in Australia yet we are supposed to be the leaders in renewable energy.
But you’re right, I shouldn’t worry about the money and jobs IKEA will be ripping out of Canberra so I’ll move on following my eternal quest to find something to be happy about.

Deref, the article is most definitely not an ad, though the writer did attend the pre-launch event as a guest of IKEA. We ran it because we know how much interest there is in the newly opened furniture store and it gave readers a preview of what to expect.

“The store is lit entirely by energy efficient LED lighting, and there are over 1,900 solar panels on the roof.”
All made in Australia I assume (not)?

Because lets face it Australian companies would buy the cheapest solar panels as well regardless of where they are built and would never ever avoid paying tax……. You’ve got a bee in your bonnet about Ikea. You need to move on, find something to be happy about.
You don’t have to shop there, but if it improves the local economy, I’m all for it. There are already stories of people planning to come to Canberra for a weekend to visit Ikea and see places they haven’t been to. My aunty who lives an hour out of Sydney thinks coming to Canberra will be quicker for her so she’ll come here instead, when she wants to go to Ikea instead of the Sydney stores. More money for our local economy.

There isn’t much that makes IKEA Swedish apart from its origins. “Design and Quality of Sweden – Made In China”. The products we bought including the flat pack cabinet were all made in China, even the Swedish flags everybody was waving about came from Taiwan….

There isn’t much that makes IKEA Swedish apart from its origins. “Design and Quality of Sweden – Made In China”. The products we bought including the flat pack cabinet were all made in China, even the Swedish flags everybody was waving about came from Taiwan….

Ah opened at last. I don’t need any more furniture, got enuff. But will wander in when it quietens down, to check out their cafe.
Are any of the resident Riot food scribes going to write it up soon ?. I look forward to their contribution.